'More than 500 flights to be cancelled at T5 by the end of the week' as Heathrow crisis deepens

British Airways is attempting reunite more than 15,000 suitcases with their owners this morning, as the crisis at Heathrow's Terminal 5 rolled into a second week.

The airline drafted in 400 volunteer staff over the weekend as part-time baggage handlers along with IT specialists to cope with the luggage backlog.

But although the terminal appeared relatively calm today,after last week's chaotic scenes, BA admitted that air passengers face a summer of disruption.

Since Thursday's opening, the airline has been forced to slash 250 flights, with industry experts predicting the tally will rise to 500 by the end of the week.

More than 100,000 passengers are likely to be affected.

Those checking in today have been told that the terminal is running at only 87 per cent capacity, with 54 flights cancelled. Hundreds of travellers have already returned their BA tickets and booked with other carriers.

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Waiting game: Suffering passengers at Terminal 5 yesterday had nothing to do but wait out the delays and cancellations

Last night, a BA spokesman refused to predict when full service will resume, saying: "No. You would just use that as a stick to beat us with if it didn't happen."

Labour Transport minister Ruth Kelly was also attacked today as opposition MPs accused her of "running for cover".

Theresa Villiers, the Conservatives' transport spokesman,accused Miss Kelly of being "one of the great and good - happy to sip champagne at the opening ceremony and then run for cover when things start to go wrong".

"She should have acted more quickly," Miss Villiers said. "Heathrow is a shop window on the world. Someone must get a grip on what action must be taken.

"Ruth Kelly must provide answers to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to keep them safe at the new terminal."

Miss Kelly, who is facing calls to appear before Parliament, issued only one statement over the weekend two days after the chaos first began.

Yesterday, BA was also been forced to admit it may have to postpone the planned switch of the bulk of its long-haul flights to Terminal 5 on April 30.

Any delay to that would hit 50 other airlines which are supposed to move into the gaps left at Terminals 1 and 4.

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Heathrow's 'world class' Terminal 5 cost more than £4.3billion to build and 40 years to plan

Also on the horizon is a threatened strike by BA staff, which has been put on hold during the Terminal 5 debacle.

Over the weekend, passengers complained of being made to sit on planes on the tarmac for an hour before disembarking. There was also a knock-on effect at Terminal 1, where planes were delayed because staff needed to carry out security checks had been switched to Terminal 5.

Financial experts estimate the chaos has cost British Airways "£20million and rising". Even more serious is the damage to its reputation which would lose the airline customers, profits and share-value.

Many passengers are switching to rival airlines. One flight attendant was heard telling a colleague yesterday there had been masses of cancellations, citing "200 no-shows" on BA planes.

British Airways admitted at the weekend that 15,000 delayed bags were stuck in storage at Heathrow.

But that tally is rising quickly and the final figure is likely to be many times that.

Those bags not reunited with passengers within a few months are routinely sold off at auction.

BA boss Willie Walsh, who has ignored calls for his resignation, vowed his company "would not rest" until Terminal 5 was working properly.

In a statement yesterday, he said: "A backlog of undelivered bags has built up. This backlog is not affecting the day-to-day operation of the baggage system, and we are making every effort to reunite delayed bags with their owners.

"We have more than 400 volunteers from across the airline supporting this effort.

"We will not rest until our service has been restored to the high standard customers rightly expect."

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Stranded: BA bosses have admitted that the chaos surrounding last week's shambolic opening is set to continue into the summer. Around 100,000 customers will be affected

Many bags have been sent to Manchester Airport and airports in Scotland to be processed.

But as the £4.3billion BA-only building entered its fifth day of operation early today, there was no end in sight to the toll of cancelled flights.

As well as the baggage shambles, passengers have complained that lifts and phones do not work, signs are poor and there are not enough seats.

Officials at the transport union Unite said members had warned BA managers about long-standing concerns over Terminal 5 but their words "fell on deaf ears".

There was also fury that BA bosses held a back-slapping party at their Heathrow headquarters - complete with a string quartet - as chaos reigned at Terminal 5.

Yesterday, planes were still departing without luggage. Passenger Dean Dunn said: "I am ashamed to be British. I've seen people openly breaking down and crying."

Passengers in Terminal 1 found their flights delayed because there were not enough security staff.

Peter Rhodes, 59, from North London, was told by check-in staff that his flight to Nice would be delayed for at least an hour because security staff had been moved to Terminal 5.

He said: "They told me they had no one to check the plane. It's ridiculous."

Hundreds more passengers were delayed for up to an hour after they landed because of baggage problems.

Jenny Ryan, 32, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who was returning from Miami with her husband Sean, 33, said: "After a tiring long-haul flight, the last thing you want is to be stuck on the runway. It became very hot and airless."

The watchdog Civil Aviation Authority said last night it has written to BA over claims that it breached European legislation on passengers' rights by seeking to limit compensation and expenses.

But the airline, which could be fined up to £5,000 per passenger, insisted it did not believe it had contravened any regulations.

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'More than 500 flights to be cancelled at T5 by the end of the week' as Heathrow crisis deepens